Did Genghis Khan Have Red Hair and Green Eyes?
Tracing the historical origins of a popular internet rumor
A few months ago, when I wrote about what the first blue-eyed person looked like, some of you asked if Genghis Khan had red hair and green eyes. Though it sounds absurd, Genghis Khan’s appearance has sparked a huge debate on social media.
In my Telegram group, I received the following image, which claimed Genghis Khan was Anglo-Saxon because of his reported red hair and green eyes.
We can dismiss the poorly photoshopped picture as an internet hoax. But claims about Genghis Khan’s appearance aren’t new. In 1899, scholar Carlos C. Closson likened Genghis Khan’s features to that of a Norman. Why did Closson say so? Was there a hidden agenda, or did he come across historical sources talking about how the Great Khan looked?
We’ll review Closson’s comments and the shoddy research behind them. But first, let’s find out the origins of Genghis Khan’s rumored red hair and green eyes.
